Back to the basics. Our team will help you get started stamping. Learn basic measurements, how to cut your card stock, techniques, and enjoy a weekly sketch challenge, and more! Please note: You have entered a MARKETING FREE ZONE.
Please note, we reserve the right to remove links with non-Stampin' Up! product, "sales pitches", links to online stores, or requests to join your team. We're here to have fun, learn from one another and share.

Are you ready to play along? We sure hope so! Never played with us before?? Well, it's easy! Sky's the limit!

Make a card using your Stampin' Up Supplies!

Post it online somewhere to your blog or other online forum

Post a link to the free linky tool below (please point the link to your post and NOT just your blog).

Have some fun and leave comments for each other (and for the operators if you like their work). ~ Everyone loves comments!

Please note, we reserve the right to remove links with non-Stampin' Up! product, "sales pitches", links to online stores, or requests to join your team. We're here to have fun, learn from one another and share.

We hope you join us this week and play along with this sketch! But don't delay our links will close at 8AM on Thursday morning Eastern Standard Time.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Hello everyone and welcome to another Takin' It To the Top Thursday on Stamping 411! My goodness, how time flies. It seems like just a week or two ago that I last brought this monthly feature to you! But here it is ... time for another Takin' It To the Top. What we do with this feature is to demonstrate to you how easy it is to step up your cards and projects just a bit by adding a few extra, simple elements -- more layers, shading, texture, pattern, color, embellishments ... The goal is to not take it over the top, but to the top to make a card or project just a little more special!

All three cards today use the Flower Fest and Hodgepodge Happiness stamp sets; the colors of Wild Wasabi, Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango and Whisper White. So here we go ...

This is our first card. It's simple but it's OK. It would be a great card for a beginning stamper, for a workshop or for those occasions when you need to make a bunch of cards quickly! I've used the Masking Technique to stamp the flowers and leaves and used the 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches for the sentiment. This card has minimal layers, colors and texture. Let's see what a difference it might make to step it up just a bit ...

Okay, this second card has a little more going on. We've added quite a bit more texture and pattern with the stamped background. We've added an additional color, Daffodil Delight, in one of the flower ink colors. Do you notice as well that I've added some extra layers here and have cut them with a smaller border (cut with an 1/8" difference rather than a 1/4" difference). I added an additional punch behind the sentiment as well, the Designer Label Punch.

Now, let's add a little more texture and some simple but interesting elements to take this card to the Top!

Look what I've done here! First of all, I've added even more layers and color with the addition of some Tangerine Tango cardstock. I embossed the stamped background with the Big Shot and the Square Lattice Impressions Folder, really giving it some great texture and interest. I extended the Wild Wasabi mat out a bit wider to allow me to add a Scallop Punch Border and a bit of 1/8" Taffeta ribbon and a bow in Daffodil Delight. Instead of masking the stamped flower and leaves, I embossed them, sponged on some additional color, cut them out and attached them to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals, giving more depth and texture. And finally, I added the Extra Large Oval Punch in Tangerine Tango behind the sentiment assembly.

It makes quite a difference, doesn't it, to just add a few simple and inexpensive changes!

I invite you, and challenge you, to try this with your cards and projects this week. Step them up just a bit by adding a few extras! And, we would love to see what you create! Leave us a link to your projects below and tell us how you took them to the Top! I can't wait to see what you create this week!

Thanks so much for stopping by stamping 411! On behalf of all the Operators, we hope you come back soon!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Happy Friday friends! First of all, a big congratulations to the Stamping 411 Operators that are on the fabulous Alaskan cruise this week courtesy of Stampin' Up! Luckily, they created some beautiful cards to inspire us while they're away!

We hope you've been enjoying our fun Stampin' Up! only sketch challenges! This one's no exception! Here are some possible measurements:

Are you ready to play along? We sure hope so! Never played with us before?? Well, it's easy! Sky's the limit!

Make a card using your Stampin' Up Supplies!

Post it online somewhere to your blog or other online forum

Post a link to the free linky tool below (please point the link to your post and NOT just your blog).

Have some fun and leave comments for each other (and for the operators if you like their work). ~ Everyone loves comments!

Please note, we reserve the right to remove links with non-Stampin' Up! product, "sales pitches", links to online stores, or requests to join your team. We're here to have fun, learn from one another and share.

We hope you join us this week and play along with this sketch! But don't delay our links will close at 8AM on Thursday morning Eastern Standard Time.

By the looks of the Stamping 411 challenge entries this week, Spring has officially arrived! Here are your Operator Picks for Sketch Challenge #203. Thanks everyone, for participating -- keep up the fabulous work!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Hello everyone! Welcome to Stamping 411's How-To Wednesday! Have you ever wanted to do something different with your cards but not quite sure what to do? How about trying the Frayed Ribbon technique -- it's fun, fast and really gives a different look to your projects. Depending on the look you're going for, it can be quite elegant, just plain fun or downright whimsical! First, a quick tutorial on how to fray your ribbon!

Start with Grosgrain ribbon (any size) and cut both edges off square. Gently pull the individuals threads from each end of the ribbon. You will find that one pulls fairly easily and the other will knot up and tangle very quickly. Work from the end that pulls easily and just continue to pull the tiny fibers away from the ribbon. It goes very quickly. Make sure and leave about 1" at the very end that you do not fray -- you will trim this later but it's necessary to keep everything from tangling into an unidentifiable mess! Also, be sure and discard the pile of filaments that you pulled off the ribbon, especially if you have pets! You don't want them getting a hold of this mound of fiber and trying to swallow it -- it would not be a happy day for anyone in your household!

Once you've cut off the connecting thread to the bundle of pulled fibers and discarded them, you can begin to work with the frayed ribbon. You can tie it in a bow, you can wrap a brad around it, you can thread it through a button, you can tie it around a piece of cardstock or embellishment. The possibilities are really endless! In this first sample, I wrapped the prongs of a Rhinestone Brad around the frayed fibers and then from the back, tapped the prongs down tightly with a craft hammer. You want it to be held tightly so that none of the filaments pull through.

In this next example, I've threaded the frayed fibers through a jumbo button (use one with larger holes) and then tied a knot on top to hold it all together. Remember that 1" of non-frayed ribbon that I told you to hold on to at the end -- if you're going to thread it through a button, cut that at a diagonal with a fairly small point and then thread down from the top of the button, across the back and then up through the top and then tie your knot. In either of these examples, you will want to trim the fibers to the desired length (use a sharp pair of scissors for this).

Okay, now are you ready to see some of the projects I created using the Frayed Ribbon technique? Here you go ...

Here's the elegant example! I used Sweet & Sour Speciality Designer Series Papers (3 different patterns) and the Great Friend and Fabulous Florets Stamp sets. Cardstock colors are Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, and Whisper White.

I used the Floating Re-inker Technique and heat embossing on the flowers, cut them out and popped them up with Stampin' Dimensionals. Other supplies and tools include the Eyelet Border Punch and Rhinestone Brads. I glued the frayed bow onto the card with Crystal Effects. Click on the small image to view it larger.

Next is a cute and whimsical example, using the Extra Large Two-Step Owl and Two-Step Bird Punches.

The DSP is Green House Gala (again, 3 different patterns). The Cardstock Colors are Old Olive, Early Espresso and Whisper White.

I used the Scallop Border Punch, the Big Shot with the Finial Press Textured Impressions Folder, Black Brads (for the eyes), a Jumbo Button, Stampin' Dimensionals and Crystal Effects (to glue down the button). The owl's wings and branches are from the Two-Step Bird Punch and the sentiment is from Curly Cute.

And the final example is just plain fun and funny! Look at this colorful character made from the Pick a Petal Stamp Set. He (or she, I'm not quite sure) just makes you want to smile! Oh my goodness, it's been a long time since I pulled this stamp set out! The sentiment is from the Smarty Pants stamp set.

The Designer Series paper is Beyond the Garden from the Summer Mini Catalog. The cardstock colors are Pacific Point and Whisper White. The glasses were created with the 1 3/8" and 1 3/4" Circle punches (punch the smaller one first and then center the larger one to punch the rings). I used 1/4" Black Grosgrain ribbon for the eyelashes, Flower Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Black Stazon and Regal Rose Inks, the Wide Oval and Decorative Label Punches. The bow is created with 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon.

To create the eyelashes with this look, the fraying technique is just a little different. You want to cut off one selvage of the ribbon and then pull the short fibers away until you get to the final selvage. Attach to your card with SNAIL adhesive and trim the ends to the desired length.

You know what they say ... "You're never too old to do goofy stuff"! Or, at least that's what Ward Cleaver says!

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial today on the Frayed Ribbon Technique! And I hope you'll come back soon for more ideas at Stamping 411!

If you're brave enough to try the frayed ribbon technique sometime this week, we would love to see what you create! Just leave us a link to your project photos below! Have fun and Happy stamping (and fraying!)

Friday, May 13, 2011

Phew, it was touch and go with blogger for a few days this week, but luckily it seems that the issues have been corrected and we can move on with our latest sketch challenge!

It's strange that sometimes the Operators are all on the same wavelength...not this week! We've gone in all different directions! Hopefully something will catch your eye and you'll be inspired to play along this week!

Are you ready to play along? We sure hope so! Never played with us before?? Well, it's easy! Sky's the limit!

Make a card using your Stampin' Up Supplies!

Post it online somewhere to your blog or other online forum

Post a link to the free linky tool below (please point the link to your post and NOT just your blog).

Have some fun and leave comments for each other (and for the operators if you like their work). ~ Everyone loves comments!

Please note, we reserve the right to remove links with non-Stampin' Up! product, "sales pitches", links to online stores, or requests to join your team. We're here to have fun, learn from one another and share.

We hope you join us this week and play along with this sketch! But don't delay our links will close at 8AM on Thursday morning Eastern Standard Time.